Page 131 of Villainous Rise

“Shhh,” she whispered, her lips brushing my ear.

Her grip tightened, thumb swirling over the head, then loosened as she slid back down slowly.

I was a fucking mess. My cock throbbed in her hand, desperate for more pressure, more speed—anything to end the exquisite torture. But I didn’t move. Didn’t thrust. Didn’t beg. I took exactly what she gave me and nothing more.

On the next upstroke, she stroked her palm across the head. She was using my own fucking precum to slick her palm and I nearly came off the bed on the next slick downstroke.

My muscles strained with the effort of holding still. Sweat beaded on my forehead, my chest, everywhere. I wanted to flip her over. Wanted to pin her beneath me and bury myself in the sweet warmth of her beautiful cunt. But I didn’t.

This was her game. Her rules.

She twisted her wrist again.

“Christ.”

Her hand moved faster, grip tightening just enough to make my eyes roll back. I was already so close, the pressure building. Every stroke wound me tighter, pushed me closer to the edge.

“Come for me,” she whispered.

That was all it took. I wrapped my hand around hers and thrust up, fucking her hand as I came, hard pulses that splashed hot across my stomach and chest.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” I panted when I could form words again.

Annie released me, wiping her hand on the sheet beside us. She pressed a single kiss to my shoulder.

“Clean yourself up and go to sleep,” she murmured.

And just like that, she settled back onto her pillow, eyes closed, breathing already evening out.

I stared at her in disbelief. “Are you serious right now?”

She made a soft noise that might have been a snore. Or might have been her laughing at me.

Fucking hell, Bishop.

I pulled myself out of bed and back to the bathroom to clean up. By the time I returned, she’d curled on her side, blanket pulled up to her chin, looking for all the world like she hadn’t just jerked me off and immediately passed out.

I slid in beside her and pulled her against me. She fit perfectly, like she was designed specifically to nestle into the spaces of my body.

I was torn between irritation and grudging amusement. Only Annie could reduce me to this.

“We’re not done with this conversation,” I muttered into her hair.

Her only response was a soft, even breath.

CHAPTER 23

ANNIE

I winced as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. My entire body protested the movement as muscles I didn’t know existed made their displeasure known. Forty-eight hours in Cipher’s bed had left me with an embarrassing collection of bite marks and a pleasant soreness that made sitting down a deliberate act.

Not that I was complaining. After three months of separation and nightmares, spending forty-eight hours wrapped around each other seemed like reasonable compensation. Like making up for lost time with interest, and boy, was Cipher collecting on that interest.

“You okay there, Annie?” Helios’s warm voice pulled me from thoughts that definitely weren’t appropriate for work hours.

“Fine,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “Just a little tired.”

Helios smiled that sunshine smile of his, the one that made everyone within a ten-foot radius feel like they’d just been handed a warm cup of cocoa on a cold day.